Nigerian entrepreneur and nightlife promoter Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu views him with suspicion because of his ethnic background and prior political allegiance during the 2023 presidential election. The socialite made this revelation during a live-stream session on Tuesday night with digital content creator Habeeb Hamzat, known as Peller.
This disclosure follows his defeat in the primary elections for the Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in Imo State, where he allegedly secured only 14 votes from party delegates. Okechukwu said, “As I am now, Tinubu does not really trust me because I am an Igbo man that I am. He is looking at me with one eye that ‘this one that I once worked for Peter Obi’. I worked for Obi during the last election.”
He further explained his decision to shift his political loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), adding, “I checked it, and I do not want to lose again. Because they say the first fool is not a fool, it is only on the second time you become a proper fool.”
Rise to Prominence
Okechukwu gained national prominence within the Nigerian entertainment and hospitality sector as a partner and show promoter for the Cubana Group, led by business mogul Obi Iyegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, his former associate. Operating primarily out of Owerri, Imo State, Okechukwu helped transform the nightlife scene in the South-East before expanding his operations to Lagos and Abuja.
Through strategic social media marketing, high-profile celebrity bookings, and a constant display of wealth, he called himself the “Celebrity Barman.” His ability to attract top-tier Afrobeats musicians and strong personalities to his clubs solidified his status as an influential pop-culture figure, eventually leading him to launch his own independent luxury nightclub venture, De Angels Bar and Grills, alongside various multi-million naira brand endorsements.
Political Shift and Backlash
Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, Pascal was a highly vocal supporter of the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi. He leveraged his massive social media following to mobilise Nigerian youths, particularly in the South-East region. However, following the conclusion of the election in 2023, the socialite switched and aligned himself with the ruling administration.
He assumed the role of the Imo State Coordinator for the “City Boys Movement,” a youth-focused grassroots political mobilisation group spearheaded by the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu, designed to consolidate support for the administration. This move drew severe public backlash across various social media platforms. Critics and former supporters accused the businessman of political opportunism, disloyalty to the ideological cause of the “Obidient” movement, and abandoning ethnic solidarity for commercial and political safety.
